TEGUCIGALPA Honduras AP Honduras has lowered the official death toll from Hurricane Mitch by 1350 and suspended a governor after investigators couldn't verify the hundreds of deaths she reported in her remote northwestern area. The new death toll of 5657 was compiled after the government sent teams to verify reports from regions across Honduras. Aid workers and journalists began questioning Honduras' estimated death toll after figures jumped drastically Nov. 2 the same day that news broke of a landslide in Nicaragua that covered two villages and killed up to 2000 people. That day Honduras' official death toll jumped from 600 to 5000. Later authorities raised the figure to 6400 then to 7007. Federal authorities announced Tuesday that they had suspended Gov. Lucila Esperanza Barahona de Castro of the Santa Barbara department near the Guatemala border after investigators could verify only 282 of the 1159 deaths reported in her area. Authorities cited by the newspaper El Heraldo said the suspension was standard procedure during an inquiry. Barahona could not be reached immediately for comment. In addition to the 5657 dead Honduras said it had verified 8058 missing 12272 injured and 1.4 million homeless throughout the country. APW19981201.0706.txt.body.html APW19981201.0650.txt.body.html